A strange but familiar universe
by nkowlifelight
Summary: a group of humans is transported to a universe where walking animals rule.
1. Chapter 1

I was awakened by a thin ray of light that pierced through my bedroom curtains. I peeled the sheets from my body, and moved to the bathroom. As I turned to get into the shower some things caught my eye as they had everyday for twelve years. They were three scars, all of which had been given to me by my father when I was ten years old, hell of a birthday present huh? One scar was three inches long with smooth edges, the second was six inches long with a few jagged edges, and the third stretched from the top of my right shoulder to my spine Throughout the first ten years of our lives my brother David and I endured beating after beating from our father. He used anything from his fists to a metal pipe. Our sister Sarah only had too face six years of hell, but they left their mark on her as she does not completely trust other men. I even still have nightmares because of some of the things he did. During that whole time our mother took a huge amount of abuse from our father as well. One night our father came home drunk and demanded that I let him into the house. After fifteen minutes of arguing with him, I told him too piss off and that we did not need him. The next thing I heard was the sound of him walking down the porch steps. It was after this incident that our mom started drinking and we were put in foster care. On our eighteenth birthday my brother and I got the door for our presents. We had been on the streets for about seven months when our mom found us completely by accident. She said she had sobered up and was now a realtor. We stayed with her for a few months while we got back up on our feet. I put myself through film school to become a film editor, obtained my First Aid certificate, and paid for guitar and singing lessons. My brother went to school to become a cameraman and also took drumming lessons, and my sister who now lives with me after being kicked out of her foster home, is planning on becoming a nurse.

I stepped out of the shower, and got dressed. We were supposed to go to mom's house for breakfast and to meet her new boyfriend, and their child. She had kept the boyfriend a secret for around a year, and she hid the pregnancy for three months. For some reason she wanted me to bring my guitar, so I grabbed it and walked to the front door where Sarah was waiting for me.

"Ready, Jason?" She asked

"Yeah as ready as I'll ever be."

We walked out of the apartment building, and got into my Dodge Ram. As we drove we talked about what too expect at mom's house.

"Have you heard anything about mom's new boyfriend?" Sarah asked.

"No, can't say that I have." I replied.

"I hope he's not like dad."

"For his sake, he had better not be."

After about half an hour we arrived at mom's house. As we walked up the steps we were greeted by a woman in her mid forties wearing a black sweater and blue jeans.

"Hi kids." She said as she hugged us.

"Hi, mom." Sarah and I said in unison. "So, where is the little one?" I asked.

"Right this way." She said.

When we walked in I looked around and saw that David was sitting on the couch. The three of us exchanged quick waves before Sarah and I were escorted upstairs. We walked down the hall to the very last room. Inside we saw a crib with a sleeping baby dressed in pink footy pajamas. As soon as we took a step closer, she woke up and started crying. We walked closer, and Sarah picked her up and immediately handed her too mom.

"Diaper change." was all Sarah said. I turned to mom and offered to change the baby's diaper saying that she already had enough to do. Reluctantly, she handed the baby to me.

"Where do you keep the extra diapers and wipes again?" I asked.

"They are in the hall closet just to the right of this room." Mom replied.

"Okay Lauri, let's go change that diaper."

The changing went well, aside from me nearly passing out from the smell. Afterwards, I carried her downstairs and sat beside David on the couch, and spoke to Lauri in baby talk. This lasted for about twenty minutes before the doorbell rang. When David opened it, there was a man in his early forties standing on the porch.

"Can I help you with something?" David asked.

"My name's Chase." said the man, "I'm Mrs. Camerell's boyfriend."

"Oh, come in please." said David.

When Chase walked in I decided that it would be wise to hand Lauri over to him seeing as she was his daughter. We somehow managed to introduce ourselves and shake hands as I handed her over. As we talked I found out that Chase worked in a factory and that they had met through a speed dating service. Soon, mom called us to say that breakfast was ready. After we had eaten, mom asked me if I had brought my guitar.

"Yes" I said, "but why did you ask me to bring it?"

"To show off your singing abilities." Mom said.

"I'm really not that good."

"Nonsense, now go get your guitar."

I did as she asked, and returned with my guitar. I sat down at the table and said "I am now taking requests." My family members listened to a variety of music, so I had no idea what songs they might suggest.

"Sing 'Alcohol'" said Sarah. So I did.

_I can make anybody pretty  
I can make you believe any lie  
I can make you pick a fight  
with somebody twice  
your size. . ._

Well I've been known to cause a few breakups  
and I've been known to cause a few births  
I can make you new friends  
Or get you fired from work.

And since the day I left Milwaukee,  
Lynchburg, Bordeaux, France  
Been makin the bars  
Lots of big money  
and helpin white people dance  
I got you in trouble in high school  
but college now that was a ball  
you had some of the best times  
you'll never remember with me  
Alcohol, Alcohol

I got blamed at your wedding reception  
for your best man's embarrassing speech  
and also for those naked pictures of you at the beach  
I've influenced kings and world leaders  
I helped Hemingway write like he did  
and I'll bet you a drink or two that I can make you  
put that lampshade on your head . .

And since the day I left Milwaukee,  
Lynchburg, Bordeaux, France  
Been makin a fool out of folks  
just like you  
and helpin white people dance  
I am medicine and I am poison  
I can help you up or make you fall  
you had some of the best times  
you'll never remember with me  
Alcohol

And since the day I left Milwaukee,  
Lynchburg, Bordeaux, France  
Been makin the bars  
Lots of big money  
and helpin white people dance  
Well,I got you in trouble in high school  
but college now that was a ball  
you had some of the best times  
you'll never remember with me  
Alcohol, Alcohol

I spent the next hour singing various songs. After I was finished we sat back down in the living room. Sarah went on her laptop while the rest of us watched the TV. We watched a news report about a man who had disappeared. This was becoming a regular occurrence these days, people would disappear but what was weird was that their vehicles and computers would disappear with them. So far two hundred people had disappeared in such a manner, and this man was number two hundred and one.

"This is so strange." said Mom

"You don't think I could be organized crime do you?" asked David.

"If it was" I said, "they would have just killed these people then burned their homes to destroy the evidence."

"Yeah." said Chase.

As we watched the news report, I looked over to see what Sarah was doing. She had two tabs active. One was a web comic starring some anthropomorphic animals including a skunk, and another one that I couldn't quite identify, she had tiger striped, long hair and a long bushy tail. The other tab contained her bank account information.

"She looks hot." I said pointing to the unidentifiable character.

"Piss off." She said, then she looked at her bank account screen and said "Hey, this is weird."

"What is?" I asked

"My account has been transferred."

"To where?"

"To the Bank of America in Columbus, Ohio."

"Bullshit, let me see that."

Sure enough her information had been transferred.

"Let me check my account." I said. I typed in my card number and password, and looked at my account information screen. It read "Information has been transferred to: Bank of America, Columbus Ohio."

"What the fuck?" I said "Everybody, check your bank accounts."

So everyone did, and sure enough all of their information had been transferred to the same place.

"What's going on here?" Mom asked.

"I don't know, maybe someone stole our identities."

"All of us at the same time?" Chase asked.

I was about to say something when I noticed what looked like a ripple appear across Sarah's computer screen. Then I saw another, and another, and another.

"Hey guys. Check out the computer screen." They all walked over and were shocked by what they saw.

"What the he…" David said, but he never got the chance to finish his sentence as a bright flash was emitted from the computer. Suddenly we were falling through some vortex. I looked up to see four shapes coming right for us. It took me a second to recognize them for what they were.

"Cars! Look out!" I yelled. I managed to dodge mom's ford focus, David's Chevrolet Malibu, and Chase's Toyota Camry, but I couldn't dodge my Dodge Ram. The side mirror smacked into my head, and everything went black.

My head was throbbing when I woke up. When I opened my eyes my vision was a little blurry at first, but eventually I was able too see that I was in a parking lot, and that everyone else was gradually waking up as well. I looked around to see a building labeled "Double Z studios: Quality Adult Entertainment." That's when I noticed the group of anthropomorphic animals walking towards me. I recognized two of them as the characters in the comic strip Sarah was reading, two more skunks and a vixen with long red hair and brown fur were also with them. I also saw a news crew approaching, and before I could do or say anything the reporter asked me "Sir, how did you and your friends get here?"

"Actually they are my family, and as for how we got here.." I explained our situation to everyone, and the reporter said "So, by all accounts the way you appeared here is exactly the same as how the others came here."

"Wait, others?" David asked.

This time the one with the tiger stripes spoke up. "Yeah, about a couple hundred of you humans have appeared here recently."

"So this is where they've been disappearing to." I said. The animals looked a little confused so I told them about the disappearances.

"Well, that certainly answers a few questions." said the tiger striped one as the news reporter wrapped up her story and left the studio parking lot, leaving us with the others.

"So…" said David. We waited there for a few minutes before I said "Oh for pete's sake you guys." And I extended my hand towards the other group and said "My name's Jason." The tiger striped one was the first to approach me. She hugged me and said "My name's Zig Zag. And in case you were wondering I'm a skunk, but my grandfather was a white tiger." When she released me a skunk in a blue t-shirt walked up and shook my hand.

"My name's Sabrina." She said. Eventually another skunk with long white hair introduced herself as Stacey, and the third skunk who had shorter white hair introduced herself as Tracey. Then the vixen walked up and hugged everyone while introducing herself as Sheila.

"Well, now that everyone's been introduced, I would like to point out that we still have some problems." I said, "One: where are we going to live? Two: where are we going to find jobs? And three: Where can we get clothing and baby supplies? None of us, least of all Lauri can stay in one set of clothes."

"Who's Lauri?" Sheila asked.

"She's our youngest sister." David said as he pointed to Chase holding a crying Lauri in his hands. Everyone looked at her with collective "Awwws".

"Anyways" said Zig Zag, "I can answer two of your questions. First, you can get clothes and baby supplies at the Worthington Mall down the street. Second, we are looking for a film editor, a newcameraman, and a new security guard if anyone is interested."

David and I immediately walked up to her.

"I believe you have just found yourself a film editor and guard." I said

"And a new cameraman." David added in.

"Jason, David think about this for a second." Mom said.

"I have" I replied, "I've been thinking about it the whole time we've been here."

"As have I." added David.

"Besides it's every single guy's secret dream to work in a place like this."

Then Chase walked up and made a big mistake by saying. "Boys, as your mother's boyfriend I think it is highly inappropriate that two fine young men such as yourselves would consider working here." I looked at him and said "You, come here." When we were a sufficient distance away I said "Who the hell do you think you are?"

"I'm your mother's boyfriend." He said

"Exactly, you're her boyfriend, you're not our father or one of our foster fathers. Besides which, we are adults and we can make our own decisions, alright?"

"Alright."

"Good, let's get back to the others."

When we got back we discovered that our accommodation problem had been solved. Sabrina's landlord had recently evicted the tenants living in the basement suite of the house she and two of her friends rented.

"Well, looks like our problems have been solved." said Sarah.

"All, except one." I replied, "What about our bank account info."

"All of our money is still in our accounts, and the transaction info is correct."

"Well then I guess our problems really are solved." I looked at my watch and said "It's getting late. We should go and get that stuff now before the stores close." So we said our goodbyes, and told Zig Zag that we would see her tomorrow morning. After we had bought everything we needed, we went to the address that Mom had written down, which was easy because of the GPS Mom had in her car. When we got there we saw Sabrina talking to a squirrel and a wolf. As we drove up they started to approach us. We were introduced to Amy squirrel and Thomas woolfe, and were shown our new home. It had four bedrooms, one bathroom, and access to the back yard through a sliding glass door. Thomas and Amy helped unload some of our stuff, and once everything had been placed in the appropriate rooms Amy asked where our mattresses were since she hadn't seen any when we arrived.

"I have to go and pick them up." I said as I put my arm around David and said "And David, being the wonderful brother he is, is going to help me right?"

"Do I have a choice?" David asked

"Did I give you one?"

"No."

"Exactly."

So off we went, on the way we stopped to pick up some rope too tie down the mattresses. Once we had loaded the mattresses into my truck we began to tie them down.

"You sure that this is gonna work?" David asked.

"Yeah, don't worry." I said.

"We're five mattresses high though, six if you count the crib mattress."

"Everything will be fine, now shut up and finish securing them."

Once they were as tied down as securely as possible, we set off on the return trip. It was slow going as we had to make sure the mattresses did not fall onto the road, but we eventually made it back. We then tried to get the mattresses through the front door. The crib mattress got through fine, but the second mattress which happened to be a king size one got stuck.

"Dude back up and let's try it again." David said

"No, it won't fit through the door with the stairs here, let's try the sliding door around the back." The mattress wound up fitting through that door, and so did the rest of them. Everyone helped carry their mattress to their room, and place it where they wanted it. Once my mattress was in place I put the sheets on it and went to bed, exhausted and eager to see what tomorrow would bring.

**Disclaimer: I do not own "Sabrina Online". Stacey, Tracey, Sheila, Amy, Thomas, Sabrina, Zig Zag, Darke and Tina (both of whom will be introduced next chapter) all belong to their respective artists.**


	2. work

I woke early the next morning, got dressed and walked in to David's room to wake him up. As soon as I walked into the room I felt the first signs of a gas attack, and I had an idea. I walked up to where his head was and let loose the foulest smelling fart possible. He wrinkled his face, sat up and said "You're an ass."

"Thank you for noticing. Now get up, we've gotta get to work." I said. Once we had eaten, and David had dressed himself we left. When we got there we were greeted by Zig Zag. She led us into the studio and introduced us to a lynx named Tina, and showed us where we would be working. My workspace was just down the hall from the set, and it had the latest editing software and hardware. My first project was called "Star Whores". I finished editing most of the movie, but I kept hearing this weird thumping sound during the sex scenes and I just couldn't figure out what it was. Eventually I took a break from the movie to edit some of the extras on the DVD. At around four in the afternoon Zig Zag came to check in on me.

"How's it going?" she asked.

"Well enough" I replied, "but there's this weird thumping sound I keep hearing during the sex scenes and I can't figure out what it is. Listen for yourself."

She took my headphones and said "I hear it too." As she was listening I took at the actors on the computer screen and noticed something on Tracey's breast.

"Was Tracey wearing a microphone by any chance?"

"Yes she was." Zig replied, "Why do you ask?"

"I think I've figured out what that sound is."

"What is it?"

"Her heartbeat."

"Really? 

"Yeah, if you listen closely you can hear that when the actors go faster so do the thumping sounds, and when the actors go slowly the sounds follow suit. Should I take the sound out?"

"No, leave it in it sounds cool."

"You sure?"

"Yup. Hey, a bunch of us are getting together at McGinty's after work, wanna join us?"

"Sure."

"Great, see you there." She said as she handed me a piece of paper with the address on it.

I had a bit of trouble finding the bar, but I did find it eventually. I noticed everyone outside waiting for me.

"Sorry, had a bit of trouble finding the place."

"It's alright." Sheila said.

When we walked in I looked around and saw my mother sitting at one of the tables with a bottle of vodka and about eight empty shot glasses around her.

"Be with you guys in a second." I said. I walked over to where my mother was seated and said "Boy, it must have hurt like hell when you fell off that wagon huh?"

"Pfft" was her only response.

"I thought you had sworn off that stuff. Why are you drinking again?"

"I'm drinking to celebrate our arrival here." She said as she turned to me. I noticed a fain purple bruise around her eye and two bruises on her cheeks.

"Are you really drinking to celebrate, or to forget something that happened to you?" I asked as I pointed to the bruises.

"It was an accident. I ran into a door."

"A door or a fist?"

"A door."

"Oh so the door, not Chase, gave you the bruises?"

"Exactly."

"Bullshit Ma, in order for that to happen, you would have had to hit the doorat an impossible angle, not to mention the fact that the bruises on your cheeks look distinctly like fists."

"Just go and be with your friends, leave me alone." I did as she said, albeit reluctantly.

When I got to the table I saw a black cat sitting amongst the group. I walked up and introduced myself.

"Hi, I'm Jason Camerell." I said.

She looked at me with what seemed to be cold, calculating eyes and said "Darke Katt." as she shook, or rather, crushed my hand.

"So, you work at the studio too?" I asked her quietly.

"Yeah." She replied, "I'm the janitor."

"That must be um…"

"Totally disgusting?"

"Yeah."

"It is, but it gives me a better life than the one I had."

"What was your life like?"

At that everyone at the table stopped talking and stared right at us.

"I don't like talking about it." Was the only thing Darke said.

"It's okay, I'm not really comfortable talking about my past either."

As the night wore on, I was introduced to a Lynx named Tina who also works behind the scenes at the studio. Aside from that conversation consisted mostly of movies that were being shot, celebrity gossip, and current events. I did contribute to the discussions a few times, but I mostly stayed silent. When we turned to leave I noticed that my mother was no longer at her table. I went up and asked one of the waitresses where she had gone.

"Oh, we called her a cab." The waitress said, "I stayed outside with her until the cab arrived."

"Thank you." was all I could say.

"No problem."

I walked out to my truck, put it in gear and began to drive home. I had only had a couple of beers so I was okay. When I got back to the house I saw David sitting on the couch with his video camera beside him and a DVD in his hand.

"Where'd you find that?" I asked, pointing to the camera.

"In the trunk of my car." He said then he pointed to the DVD "Do you know what this is?"

"It's a DVD."

"Obviously, but do you know what's on it?"

"If I did I would've said so. What's on it?"

"Do you remember that party we had when we turned nineteen and Mom and Sarah were out with their friends?"

"You mean the one where all those cops had to come?"

"Yeah, that's the one."

"I remember some things from that night…that's what's on the DVD isn't it?"

"Yep, wanna watch it?"

"Alright."

David walked over and put the DVD in the player. The footage showed us answering the door and welcoming people, but that quickly changed to footage of some guy that was so drunk he thought he was spider-man and was trying to climb the wall of our mother's house, someone wearing a grapefruit on their head, some guy walking in with a stray cat under his arm and asking people if they wanted to pet his dog. It also showed me drinking innumerable beers, six jello shots, two coolers, three vodka shots and a lot of whiskey. The footage then showed one of our friends, Billy, talking to the cat under the kitchen table. I also saw Joe, another one of our friends walking out the door with a chainsaw and our neighbor's tree come crashing down to the ground. Then a cop car showed up, but the officer realized he needed back up and he grabbed his portable radio. Soon the camera showed dozens of cops screeching onto the scene. David(with the camera in hand) followed a group of about twenty of us as we somehow snuck out through the backyard. That was when another of our friends named. He, along with Billy and Tommy snuck up to a police car and started playing with the lights and siren. This didn't last too long though because one of the cops saw them. Soon, all of us were running down the street. David turned the camera around to show about forty to fifty cops chasing us. One by one people were tackled to the ground. Eventually the camera hit the pavement as David was tackled. The camera showed me tearing past with about seven cops chasing me.

"Run Jason, run!" David yelled from behind the camera.

"What the fuck do you think I'm doing?" I yelled back. Then I heard me yelling in the distance "You can't catch me, I'm faster than a fire truck! Wee ooh! Wee ooh! Wee ooh!" then the camera cut out.

"Wow." was all I could say.

"Yeah." David said, "By the way, I sent a copy of this to Zig."

"Why?"

"She wanted to see just how 'loosened up' we could get, so I sent this to her to prove that we could loosen up."

"Well, you proved beyond a doubt that I can loosen up, but you I'm not so sure."

"What do you mean?"

"You never drank anything, not one drop of alcohol entered your body that night and you never spoke to anyone either."

"Two things, first: I didn't drink because I knew people would do dumb shit that night and I wanted to be sober enough to capture it and second: I didn't talk to anyone because I wasn't entirely comfortable in that situation back then."

"Well if you weren't.." I started to say, but was interrupted by the phone ringing. "Hello?" I said.

"I can't believe you drank that much and were still standing!" Zig Zag exclaimed, "I laughed so hard I nearly fell out of my chair! You should challenge Sheila to a drinking contest."

"I might just do that." I said.

"By the way, I don't mean to sound nosey but where are you from?"

"We are from Canada."

"I should've guessed, considering you have a Canadian flag on the back window of your truck. On another note, there's an industry trade show next week, and guess where it is?"

"Where?"

"I'm not going to just tell you, you have to guess."

"Okay, Atlanta?"

"No."

"Los Angeles?"

"No.

"Is it in any American city?"

"No it's not."

"Is it in a Canadian city?"

"Yes."

"Vancouver?"

"Yes! And I want you to join me there."

"Okay, but why me though?"

"I make a point of taking every new person that I employ to at least one trade show. Your brother will get his chance next time."

"When do we leave?"

"Next Wednesday, the flight is at nine AM."

"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight." And with that I hung up and went to sleep.


End file.
